Great picture of firefighters administering oxygen to two cats rescued from a fire in Liverpool

So what is the background to this picture? We see quite a lot of firefighters administering oxygen to cats in America and they are all wonderful pictures and examples of excellent human behaviour, but I think this is the best I’ve seen.

It’s actually from the UK, which is unusual because, as mentioned, most of these pictures normally come from America. This couple of firefighters were responding last Saturday at about 3pm to a fire in Runcorn which is south-east of Liverpool in the north of England. They had to battle flames on the ground floor of a two-storey building and it was initially reported in the Liverpool Echo.

The people inside were unharmed but, as you can see, two domestic cats needed medical attention with the provision of oxygen. Perhaps the biggest danger to domestic cats in a fire is the inhalation of smoke. It is likely, though, that these cats might suffer long-term health consequences. We don’t read about those matters but it did needs to be mentioned.

The firefighters appear to be using specially designed masks for pets. Over the years the manufacturers have developed these masks for companion animals because firefighters not infrequently encounter animals needing rescuing from fires.

In a Facebook post, Runcorn Fire Station, said that the equipment used to provide these cats with oxygen and the training to use the equipment came from Willows Veterinary Group. They said that they were able to administer the oxygen before the cats were taken to the veterinary clinic.

As a follow-up, the firefighters contacted the veterinary clinic later and were told that both cats were doing well. They also say that the fire was in the kitchen of a flat. It is believed that it was caused by a tea towel being left too close to a hob on top of a cooker. They say, “Never leave combustible items like tea towels, plastic, paper and wood close to the top of cookers. They can lead to serious fires that can cause significant damage to your home and put you and your people’s lives at risk.”

Below is an embedded FB post from the firefighters. It may stop working over time, please be aware, and if this has happened I am sorry….